When Eliot Spitzer was busting the mob in New York, I was impressed. It felt like Eliot Ness was back in town, tommy guns a'blazing, cleaning up the place for decent citizens on behalf J. Edgar Hoover. Back then it was only rumored that Hoover was a transvestite and his assistant director, Tolson, was his boyfriend. Hoover's crime was that of lying - badmouthing homosexuals, while he lived his own gay life. (Aside - Larry Craig seems to be something of a modern day example too.) While Eliot Ness himself does in retrospect seem to be a good guy, Eliot Spitzer has found himself tainted by his association with prostitutes. Prostitutes! Oh my!
We shouldn't speculate about his personal affairs, but his public affairs are wide open territory. Here's my take:
So what?
Prostitution is another victimless crime, provided everyone is an adult and is participating voluntarily. I'm guessing at $1,000 - $5,000 an hour the hookers aren't suffering a lot. It does make one wonder how much the Governor of New York makes that he can afford such rates though (and if that's not easily explained, one might consider seeing what else he has going on the side).
With one of every hundred Americans locked up for something, I wonder how many are for victimless crimes. Drug use has only the user for a victim. Prostitution doesn't involve anyone but the hooker and john. If there was no violence (non-consensual) or threat of violence there should be no crime - I'll grant that there is violence surrounding drugs and prostitution, but will persist that such exists a direct result of these things being illegal and subrosa, and not because of their actual nature.
In a balanced world, Spitzer would only have to answer to his wife. In a balanced world she'd probably sue his ass off and leave too. And that would be justice, not some media witch hunt.
This is Candy's ass. No violence was used in making this photograph.
posted by D. Brian Nelson at 6:10 PM
7 Comments:
Actually, if he's charged with anything, it's going to me a variation on money laundering. He was doing some really bizarre things moving money around trying to hide it, which is ironic given that it was some of the same stuff he was going after Wall Street for. That's what originally attracted the attention of the feds - it's the kind of things terrorists do - and eventually they stumbled into these guys moving a million dollars a year around. (There's a lot of money in high end prostitution).
Spitzer is from a wealthy family, so he can afford it. I'm sure a large part of his motivation was the thrill of getting away with something so risky. Like riding motorcycles ;-)
I also feel so what. Kinda like Clinton - it's between him and the family. But I would have liked it if he had the cash to buy me one time with a $4300 for two hours hooker. That must be one hellva woman. Gee I thought the last time I was at the Hilton in Vegas and was propositioned for $600 for an hour was a lot.
I also thought this was ironic on the night our news also reported that the Pope has made some new sins. I would have thought all the old ones would have been enough to keep him busy.
D.L. Wood
Here's "so what."
Every single person in jail in the state of New York for a prostitution-related crime is there because Eliot Spitzer wants them there and thinks they should be there. He could let them out by signing a piece of paper.
If he has been patronizing prostitutes, he must either pardon every single person convicted of such a crime, immediately turn himself into the police, or admit that he is a two-faced, hypocritical power-mad scumbag whose fundamental approach to morality is "do what I say, not what I do."
If he does any of the above, I have no further beef with him. Until them, I'd as soon spit on him as look at him.
M
Oh, I forgot to add... more than a few of those people are in jail because Spitzer put them there in the first place. As a prosecutor in NYS, Spitzer broke up at least one high-end prostitution ring and put some of the prostitutes and their managers in prison himself.
M
One of my problems with cops in general is that no matter how honest and well-meaning they are, when they hang with scum some of the filth gets on them. No cop stays clean. This is just a more visible example, though I agree that prostitution is a victimless crime and harmless as such things go. See the second to the last paragraph.
Perhaps he's putting off his actual resignation until he's signed such a blanket pardon?
Nah - that would be too honorable.
-Don
stmarc has it right. In order for there be "equal justice under law," there has to be equal justice under law. Otherwise, let's not pretend. Its offensive to think that we live in an aristocracy in which people with power and authority can violate the law with impunity, while prosecuting those without power for committing identical crimes.
Spitzer should do time, just like those he prosecuted. My guess is he tries to weasel out of it, suggesting that he should be treated differently because he occupied a position of privilege.
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